Monthly Archives: July 2014

Jul23

Roasted Red Snapper With Veggies

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Rachel

I love fish! There are so many people that tell me they love fish but that they’re scared to cook it or all they know how to do is fry it. Don’t get me wrong, I love fried fish, but there are so many healthier and just as delicious ways to enjoy our friends from the salty sea. This red snapper is a very mild white fish, and if you can’t find snapper where you are, a similar tasting fish would be grouper, flounder, or another mild white flaky fish. Halibut is delicious too, but it’s usually an arm and a leg, and I like to stick with the affordable stuff! Normally I do sort of a cooked pico de gallo recipe with this fish, but I had some bell peppers in my garden that were ready to pick, so those got incorporated into this dish and I was so happy I put them in there!

Ingredients:
1 fish filet per person
1 large tomato or a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 handful chopped cilantro
As many chopped jalapenos as you can handle 🙂
2 bell peppers any color
2 chopped onions (I did one sweet and one purple because I had them both, but if you’re just picking one, go with sweet)
butter
2 chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Your favorite fish seasoning (I like to use the GOYA brands I normally use on chicken which are the Seasoning Total and GOYA con pepper in addition to a few cracks of fresh black pepper from the grinder)

1. Using an oven safe skillet (hello cast iron!), saute with about 3 T of butter and a drizzle of oil your onions and peppers and season with salt and pepper. This will take about 10 minutes or so on medium high heat. Then add your garlic and saute for a few more minutes.

2. Turn the heat off and add your chopped tomatoes and cilantro and add additional salt if needed. Stir that around until everything is incorporated.

3. Place your seasoned fish filets on top of the veggies and place into a 425 degree oven for about 12 minutes. You’ll need to vary your time based on how many filets you have, the thickness, etc, but you get the idea that they’re going in and coming out pretty quickly. Also, I find it helps roast the fish and hold in the moisture if you drizzle the tops with a little olive oil as well as the seasoning you put on them.

4. I started checking my fish at 10 minutes and I could tell when it was done when the meat bounced back firmly and poked a fork in there and it was opaque. Remember, when you take it out it will continue to carry over cook, so there’s no need for you to cook the blazes out of it.

5. Plate that puppy up and serve with a twist of lime or a side of rice for a delicious and healthy meal!

Jul18

Chicken Spaghetti

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Rachel

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Who loves cheese? Well then this chicken spaghetti recipe is for you! It has an ooey gooey cheesy sauce that is absolutely delicious! Also, this is a great recipe to chop up veggies into tiny pieces and hide them in the sauce so your kids eat them. I’ve got lots of squash and parsley in my garden right now and my son had no idea either were in this dish. I think you could easily substitute zucchini, peas, chopped asparagus, finely chopped broccoli, finely chopped spinach, or any combination of those veggies into this dish easily!

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion finely chopped

1/4 c roasted red peppers chopped (or two jars pimentos)

Additional chopped veggies of your choice (I used one yellow squash and a few sprigs of chopped parsley)

1/2 lb linguine pasta (I used whole wheat)

4 oz Velveeta

1 can cream of mushroom

2 T cream cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)

Chicken bouillon cube

Salt and pepper

2 chopped garlic cloves

3 T butter

1 T garlic and herb seasoning

Additional mozzarella or other Italian cheese for topping

Italian breadcrumbs

1. First we’re going to season the water you’ll be using to cook the chicken (and later the noodles). Bring a pot of water with chicken bouillon and garlic herb seasoning to a boil and add chicken to pot. This will need to boil about 20-25 minutes.

2. Add chopped onion, chopped veggies of your choice, butter, salt, and pepper to a sauté pan. Cook until veggies become tender and add chopped garlic and roasted red peppers and cook a few more minutes on medium high heat.

3. Turn heat down to medium low and add cream of mushroom, cream cheese, mozzarella, and Velveeta. Stir and allow mixture to melt and come together.

4. Pull your chicken out of the boiling seasoned water and cut into bite size pieces.

5. Add chicken to sauce mixture.

6. Add linguini to the boiling seasoned water and cook using directions on the box. Once it’s done, add the drained pasta to the chicken and cheese mix.

7. Pour this into a buttered 9×11 baking dish and top with more cheese and sprinkle top with Italian breadcrumbs.

8. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Mmmmmm would you look at that beautiful masterpiece?! It’s delicious with a hunk of crusty garlic bread and large glass of red wine 🙂

Jul15

BBQ Chicken

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Rachel

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This is hands down the best BBQ chicken you will ever have! That’s right, I’m that confident in this BBQ chicken recipe and its deliciously sticky BBQ sauce. Mmmmm 🙂 While reading Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)’s facebook page, I noticed she had put up a recipe for her BBQ chicken. She does hers with peach preserves and her favorite BBQ sauce (which happens to be one of my favorites as well), and I decided to change up the recipe a bit to make it my own. So essentially, it’s a mix of recipes. Let’s get started!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mesquite/smoky/spicy bbq sauce (I used Head Country Orignial here because I love it and also because Ree Drummond used it in her original recipe)
1/3 cup sweet/mild bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s here and Original or Honey BBQ would be delicious)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 1/2 – 3 pounds chicken thighs/wings/legs

1. Whether you’re doing this on the grill or in your oven, you’ll need to spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray to keep the chicken from sticking throughout this process. If you’re doing it in your oven, you can either spray a jelly roll pan with or without foil, or use a grilling rack. I used the grill for my chicken because the wind wasn’t trying to blow my house down that day, and it was nice to be outside.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of whatever chicken you’re using.

3. Combine both BBQ sauces, apricot preserves, and chopped garlic in a small sauce pot and place on the stove on low. Stir until combined, then you can turn off the heat once it’s all married up nicely.

4. You’re going to cook your chicken on the grill/oven for about 20-25 minutes before you start basting it with the sauce. If you’re using your oven, the first 20-25 minutes the temperature should be around 350. Once your time is up, turn up the heat to about 400, or just crank up your grill and baste the first side of the chicken, flip over, then baste the other side. Then allow it to cook another 7-8 minutes before repeating the process. You’ll do this several times until you run out of sauce and your chicken is done. Make sure you’re closing the lid of grill after each basting and also make sure not to lose any of the skin during the flipping process.

Doesn’t that look delicious? It’s ready to eat! Those apricot preserves and their plump juicy apricots really make this chicken amazing!

Jul7

Garden Vegetable and Shrimp Alfredo

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Rachel

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I am so happy when summer veggies start coming up in my garden and love to use them in tons of different recipes. This pasta I made tonight was so yummy, and it uses summer squash and zucchini as the vegetables, but really any veggie you could want would do great in here. Peas, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, etc would be tasty! I also added shrimp for some protein, but feel free to leave it out or substitute grilled chicken instead.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb linguini pasta
1/2 pint (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
5 oz shredded Romano cheese (or use Parmesan if you prefer)
1 zucchini sliced into 1/2 rings
1 squash sliced into 1/2 rings
1 lb shrimp that’s been peeled and de-veined
1 stick of butter
1 clove garlic chopped
1-2 T chopped fresh herbs (I used flat leaf parsley and basil from the garden)
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper (optional)

1. First get your water boiling for the pasta and get your veggies started in a separate skillet with 2 T butter. Oh hello there cast iron skillet! You know how much I love you 🙂

2. Saute on medium-high heat for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper, then add your chopped garlic and saute a few more minutes. Drain into a bowl and set aside.

3. Next, saute your shrimp in 4 T of butter and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The last minute they’re in there toss in your freshly chopped herbs. Remove pan from the heat and set aside.

4. For the sauce, just melt 2 T of butter in a small sauce pot over low to medium heat, and add your heavy whipping cream once it’s melted. Season liberally with salt and pepper, then add 3-4 oz of your shredded Romano cheese.

5. Once it’s thickened and melted, it will stick to the back of your spoon and become a deliciously sinful white cheesy sauce.

6. Combine your veggies, pasta, sauce, and shrimp all together and stir.

7. Top with more freshly chopped herbs and the rest of your shredded cheese, then serve with cheesy garlic bread for a yummy summer Italian meal!

Blonde Bitchin' West Texas Kitchen

Come for the food. Stay for the wine.

Monthly Archives: July 2014

Roasted Red Snapper With Veggies

Chicken Spaghetti

BBQ Chicken

Garden Vegetable and Shrimp Alfredo